Actuatable vehicle occupant protection systems are known in the art. Such protection systems may include one or more vehicle crash sensors for detecting the occurrence of a vehicle crash condition. When a vehicle crash condition is detected, the protection system may actuate an inflatable device, such as an air bag, for helping to protect an occupant of the vehicle.
Certain types of vehicle crash sensors may include mechanical devices, such as switches, that close in response to deformation of the vehicle. The closure of the mechanical device indicates the occurrence of a vehicle crash condition. Other vehicle crash sensors may include electrical devices, such as an accelerometer, for detection of a crash condition. When a processed output of the electrical device crosses a threshold level, a vehicle crash condition is determined.
Vehicle crash sensors for detecting a side impact to a vehicle must have particularly rapid response times as the time period for actuating an inflatable device for occupant protection during a side impact is significantly less than the time period for actuating an inflatable device for occupant protection during a front impact. To help improve the response time of a vehicle crash sensor for sensing side impacts, it is common to locate the vehicle crash sensor at the side of the vehicle, such as on a side pillar or within the door of the vehicle.
Crash sensors may be subject to harsh environmental conditions because of their mounting locations.